Level I
DUI education
12–24 hours of classes. Often required even on a first offense with no diagnosed disorder.
Best fit · First offense · Low BAC
Time-sensitive
A DUI is a wake-up call.
It's also a 14-day window.
Get ahead of this before it gets worse. The steps you take now, before a judge orders anything, are the difference between “the system happened to me” and “I handled it.”
§ 01
The next 14 days matter more than the next 14 weeks.
Anything you start after a court order looks like compliance. Anything you start before looks like character. Same exact program, completely different read in the courtroom.
Showing up with a completed evaluation, a treatment plan in motion, and documented sober time is, by every DUI attorney's account, one of the strongest things a defendant can do for themselves.
Not legal advice. The order matters.
§ 02 · Procedure
This week, in this order.
- 01
Get a substance use evaluation
A licensed clinician interviews you and produces a written report with diagnosis and recommended level of care. Most courts want this. It's almost always the first thing your attorney will ask for.
1–2 hours · Same week - 02
Start the recommended level of care
Often DUI education classes, an IOP (intensive outpatient), or weekly counseling. You can usually start within days. Keep every receipt.
Begins within 7 days - 03
Document sober time
Voluntary breath testing (Soberlink), urine screens through a clinic, or AA / SMART attendance signed by the chair. A clean log is concrete evidence.
Continuous, dated record - 04
Hand it all to your lawyer
Evaluation, enrollment letter, attendance log, negative tests. Your attorney turns it into a mitigation packet. The court reads a story you wrote.
Before sentencing
§ 03 · Levels of care
Treatment isn't one thing. All of these are court-recognized.
Outpatient
Counseling
1–2 sessions per week with a licensed therapist. Lowest disruption to work.
Best fit · Mild use · Stable home
IOP
Intensive outpatient
Three days a week, three hours per session, 8–12 weeks. Evening tracks exist for working professionals.
Best fit · Moderate use · Working full-time
Residential
Inpatient
30–90 days at a facility. Reserved for higher-severity cases or when home isn't a safe environment to get sober.
Best fit · Severe use · Home isn't safe
Medication
MAT for alcohol
Naltrexone, acamprosate, or disulfiram. Prescribed by a physician, often combined with counseling. Evidence-based and judge-friendly.
Best fit · Cravings · Repeat offense
Documentation
Sober monitoring
Soberlink, ETG urine screens, or peer-recovery attendance logs. Generates the paper the court actually wants to see.
Best fit · Pre-trial · Probation prep
§ 05 · Avoid
The mistakes that hurt your case.
- ✗ Mistake 01
Waiting until the court orders it
Same program, completely different read. Voluntary > compelled, every time.
- ✗ Mistake 02
Picking the cheapest online class without checking court approval
Some jurisdictions only accept specific providers. Confirm before you pay.
- ✗ Mistake 03
Going quiet on social media but still drinking
Pretrial services and insurance adjusters look. Sober time only counts if it's real.
- ✗ Mistake 04
Skipping the evaluation because you don't think you have a problem
The evaluation might agree with you, and that's a useful document, too.
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(844) 755-8925§ 06 · Resources
Outside help.
Independent hotlines and reference sites. Free, confidential, available now.